CSR Times and Indian Achievers’ Forum host the National Seminar on “Achieving SDG’s through CSR in developing Economies: Role of G20 Nations”

New Delhi: CSR Times and Indian Achievers’ Forum, unwavering in its commitment to acknowledge and celebrate commendable efforts and endeavors, successfully concluded the 64th edition of the National Seminar on “Achieving SDG’s through CSR in developing Economies: Role of G20 Nations”. This annual event serves as a dynamic platform to commend and encourage a diverse array of contributors.

The National Summit and Awards unfolded on August 21st at Le Meridien Hotel, in collaboration with the CSR Times. This grand event brought together a distinguished gathering of dignitaries, award recipients, and over 300 delegates." Notably, the event recognized and felicitated a select group of PSUs, Corporates, Corporate Foundations, NGOs, MSMEs, and Start-ups with the prestigious CSR Times Award for their exceptional contributions to the field of CSR.

The summit commenced with an inaugural ceremony, followed by enlightening addresses from eminent personalities. Chief Guest Shri SPS Baghel, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, extended his congratulations to all participants and winners, underscoring CSR's potential to project India onto the global stage. The morning session boasted Guests of Honor including H.E. Dilshod Akhatov, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of India, Lt. Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), Member of the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, and Maj. Gen. Ravindra Singh of the Indian Army.

The inaugural session featured the commendation of CSR Times award recipients followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion exploring the theme "Achieving SDGs Through CSR in Developing Economies: Role of G20 Nations." Esteemed panelists from diverse sectors shared their insights on CSR's pivotal role in the nation-building process. Noteworthy participants included Dr. Somnath Singh, Dy. Director - United Nations Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI), K C Sreenath, Development Professional, Santhi Periasamy, Head-Rythm Foundation, Kavita Srivastava, Director - Strategic Partnerships, American India Foundation (AIF), Biplab Chaudhary, Founder & Global CEO, PTS Consulting Services, and Neeraj Sethi, Country Director-Baker Hughes. This engaging discourse was skillfully moderated by Dr. Shabnam Asthana, Managing Director of CSR Times.

The second session turned the spotlight on the Indian Army's CSR initiatives, emphasized through a presentation by Brigradier Vikas Bhardwaj, Brig DAV. Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (RS) and Spokesperson - BJP, addressed the gathering as the Guest of Honor, underscoring the collective responsibility of CSR engagement, extending beyond corporates to every individual.

Among the distinguished attendees were Ratnesh, Executive Director - United Nations Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI), Air Marshal VPS Rana PVSM, VSM (Retd), S. Ravi Shankar, Executive Committee Member - CSR Times Awards, H.E. Daniela Mariana Sezonov-Tane, Ambassador of Romania to India, H.E. Jacqueline Mukangira, High Commissioner - High Commission of the Republic of Rwanda to India, Dr. László Makk, Deputy Head of Mission, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Hungary, and Shri Shaurya Doval, Founding Member - India Foundation, Dr. Sudipta Narayan Roy, Director, IAF. The gathering witnessed these esteemed guests addressing the summit, inspiring participants with renewed fervor and compassion for social endeavors.

In a heartening gesture, the summit presented the CSR Times Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 to Shallu Jindal for her sustained and exceptional contributions to the socio-economic upliftment of marginalized communities through sustainable community development initiatives.

Few other winners who were conferred with the award were –

• Hemant Puranik, Chief Executive Officer, IME Motors

• Arindam Mukherjee, IT Solution Architect / Supply Chain Operations, Juniper Networks

• Sakshi Rambhia, Founder / Product Manager, Scholarship Track

• Rohit Patel, CEO, Colorhome Smart Lighting (Sunpu India LED Co. LLP)

• Gaurav Kishor Deshmukh, Senior Software Engineer Tech Lead, Guidewire Software, Inc (US)

• Ramendra Kumar Rout, Director, Wipro

• Sandeep Rangineni, Data Test Engineer , Pluto TV

• Manu Rao, Director, Pledge A Smile Foundation

• Diptiranjan Panda, Group Business Analysis Manager,Juma Al Majid Holding Group LLC

• Surabhi Sinha, Machine Learning Engineer, Adobe

• Argha Bose, CEO, Bytetra Private Limited

• Surendra Reddy Challapalli, Vice President, Citi Bank, USA

• Hemavantha Rajesh Varma Mudunuri, Senior Systems Architect, Toast Inc

• Mohammed Rameez Rizvi, Senior Services Analyst – IT, Exelon Corporation

• Ramesh Aiyyangar, Founder, TechWrite Pro

Beyond the awards ceremony, the event featured impactful video presentations from prominent organizations including RYTHM Foundation, Radico Khaitan Ltd, PTS Consulting Services Pvt Ltd, Nutriley Healthcare, and Unirac Solar India.

Furthermore, several remarkable accomplishments of MSMEs and individuals received recognition through the Indian Achievers’ Award, honoring their commendable contributions. These individuals and organizations demonstrated unwavering dedication to the cause of nation-building.

Harish Chandra, Editor of CSR Times & President, Indian Achievers' Forum, extended his congratulations to all winners and participants, expressing gratitude to the event's partners for their pivotal role in ensuring the event's resounding success. The event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Tata Sons Pvt Limited, Jindal Steel & Power Limited, BSE Limited, Radico Khaitan Limited, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited, Union Bank of India, PTS Consulting, Nutriley Healthcare and Unirac.

The summit concluded with a resounding vote of thanks, leaving attendees galvanized and determined to sustain their collective efforts in pursuit of national betterment.